After the Scheming Girl Joined a Dating Show - Chapter 2

“Oh, okay.” Xia Mozhu stood up, placing one arm behind Su Qin’s waist to support her while grasping her wrist with the other hand.

Su Qin’s body stiffened for a moment. “What are you doing holding me like this?”

Xia Mozhu: “Didn’t you ask me to support you?”

“…” Su Qin wore an indescribable expression. “Never mind.”

Xia Mozhu: “You don’t want support anymore?”

Su Qin: “Hug me if you want to.”

Xia Mozhu muttered to herself: What does she mean ‘hug if I want to’?

Watching the two of them head upstairs, one of the guests, Song Yanran, remarked, “Is Su Qin really that big of a diva? She just stops filming whenever she wants and insists on being helped upstairs.”

An Nuo: “The director didn’t mind, so what’s it to you?”

Song Yanran: “Well, now it’s just the two of us left. Do you think the footage will even look good?”

An Nuo: “Why wouldn’t it? Have you ever heard the saying ‘as long as the face is there, the empire stands’? Of course, I’m talking about myself.”

Song Yanran gave a huff of annoyance.

The director wiped the sweat from his brow. Filming hadn’t even officially started and the relationships were already this strained. Luckily, this was a dating show; things just needed to be harmonious when they interacted with the male guests. Or so he told himself.

Inside the room, Xia Mozhu asked with concern, “Where exactly do you feel unwell?”

Su Qin: “You’re trembling.”

Xia Mozhu: “Huh?”

Su Qin: “Downstairs, you were trembling.”

“Ah, well…” Xia Mozhu stammered.

Su Qin extended an arm, showing Xia Mozhu her wrist.

Xia Mozhu looked confused.

Su Qin: “The sweat from your palm is still here.”

Xia Mozhu immediately hid her palms behind her back, rubbing them twice against her jeans. She thought, Why doesn’t she give me any face at all?

Su Qin: “What’s wrong with you?” This was the second time she had asked.

Xia Mozhu’s eyes darted around. “So… it’s not that you are feeling unwell?”

Su Qin: “You’re changing the subject.”

Xia Mozhu: “…” No need to expose me so directly.

“Forget it,” Su Qin said. “Get some rest.”

“What?” Xia Mozhu was a bit dazed. “We haven’t finished filming yet.”

Su Qin: “Didn’t you say you were anemic? You can’t film in your current state.”

Xia Mozhu wanted to say something, but before she could get a word out, Su Qin pushed her by the waist onto the bed.

“I’ve seen the script. Having two female guests for the first part is enough; there aren’t that many shots for you anyway,” Su Qin said. “Rest for a bit before coming down.”

“O-okay then.” Xia Mozhu remained in the position she had been pushed into, lying stiffly on the bed with her hands clasped over her chest as if in prayer.

Fortunately, Su Qin didn’t continue staring at her; seeing her lying there obediently, she left the room.

Xia Mozhu breathed a sigh of relief. Su Qin was like a strict dean; her heart had almost stopped from the scare.

But only a few minutes after she relaxed, Su Qin returned.

Xia Mozhu: “Teacher Su Qin…” Although calling her “Teacher Su Qin” felt awkward, she couldn’t think of any other title for the moment. Since they weren’t close, calling her by her name felt too impolite. “Is there something else?”

Su Qin: “Nothing.”

Xia Mozhu: “Then why did you come into my room?”

Su Qin: “This is my room too.”

Xia Mozhu’s mind went blank. What did that mean? Su Qin was staying in this room too?

Huh?!!!

Four female guests and three rooms meant that two people had to share. But given Su Qin’s status and popularity, even if she arrived last, the production team would have moved someone else out rather than making her squeeze into a room with Xia Mozhu.

Su Qin: “I don’t like sleeping alone.”

Xia Mozhu’s brain hadn’t finished processing the massive piece of information that Su Qin was her roommate. Her CPU was running slowly as she nodded mechanically. “Then who does Teacher Su usually sleep with?”

Su Qin: “A dog.”

Xia Mozhu: “…” Does that mean I’m taking the dog’s place now?

She angrily shouted “Woof woof woof!” several times in her head.

If Su Qin really became her sister-in-law, she would be bullied for life! That stinky brother of hers—maybe she should just go to a recycling center and swap him for a new one.

While Xia Mozhu was baring her teeth and cursing her brother in her mind, a warm hand was suddenly placed on her forehead. The skin was smooth, even softer than her mother’s palm.

“…” Now is not the time to think about that.

She looked at Su Qin standing by the bed and blinked in confusion.

“No fever,” Su Qin said. “So where exactly do you feel unwell?”

Seeing Su Qin’s cold face, Xia Mozhu felt like this wasn’t a health inquiry, but rather a police interrogation of a suspect—and by a very righteous cop at that.

“I… I just have a bit of social anxiety,” Xia Mozhu said vaguely. “There were too many people downstairs, and I had some heart palpitations.”

Su Qin stood there for a long while without speaking, and it was unclear whether she believed it.

Su Qin: “Tell me when you feel like telling the truth.”

Fine, she didn’t believe it.

Xia Mozhu licked her lips and hopped off the bed. “I’m much better. Let’s go down quickly; it’s not good to keep everyone waiting.” She didn’t dare look at Su Qin’s stern face again, so she grabbed her wrist and dragged her out.

When the two went downstairs, the first segment had just ended. The male guests from the neighboring villa happened to be visiting with gifts. They hadn’t sat down yet and were standing in a line by the door. The moment Su Qin appeared, their eyes widened.

The director teased the male celebrity he was closest to: “Xiao Qi, wipe your drool, it’s about to hit the floor.”

“Cough, cough.” The person mentioned actually wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, but his eyes remained glued to Su Qin as she descended the stairs.

He was currently a rising star with a fan base mostly consisting of “girlfriend fans.” He had risked losing fans to join this dating show specifically because he heard Su Qin would be there. He didn’t dare hope for a romance; he would be satisfied just having a few meals with his goddess. If that failed, just seeing that face up close was a huge win.

Behind the scenes, the director rubbed his hands together, delighted. He hadn’t expected that Su Qin’s absence from the first segment would actually create a better effect. Looking at how starstruck these boys were, all the effort he spent pulling strings to invite the “Great Buddha” Su Qin was worth it.

He was determined to make this show the number one variety show on the internet—and a record-breaking one at that!

Xia Mozhu walked half a step ahead of Su Qin. She couldn’t help but feel those predatory gazes. No wonder her brother was worried; this was practically a wolf’s den.

It wasn’t until they sat down on the sofa and Xia Mozhu saw her manager gesturing to her that she realized she was still holding Su Qin’s wrist. she let go in a panic. If the cameras caught her holding the “Nation’s White Moonlight’s” hand without letting go, the fans would eat her alive.

Su Qin’s expressionless face frowned slightly when her hand was tossed away like a hot lead ball.

“Goddess…” Qi Tian, one of the male guests, swallowed the word “goddess” just in time and changed it to: “Teacher Su, let me introduce myself. My name is Qi Tian. Qi as in ‘Qi Tian Da Sheng’ (Great Sage Equal to Heaven), and Tian as in ‘Qi Tian Da Sheng.’ It’s my real name, not a stage name.”

After listening to this wordy introduction, Su Qin said, “You don’t need to call me Teacher Su. I haven’t taught you anything.”

Qi Tian: “…”

The Director: “…”

And everyone else who had called her Teacher Su: “…”

Xia Mozhu recalled being upstairs and also calling her “Teacher Su Qin.” She felt lucky she wasn’t shut down right then and there.

“Then…” Qi Tian stammered, “Can I just call you Su Qin?”

Su Qin didn’t speak, but her eyes conveyed the message: We aren’t close enough for you to use my full name.

Qi Tian swallowed hard. “I’ll just call you Sister Qin.”

“Mm.” Only then did Su Qin give a polite response.

As the saying goes: If a younger man doesn’t call you ‘Sister,’ his intentions are wild. Conversely, if an older woman makes you call her “Sister,” it usually means you have no chance.

Qi Tian’s young heart shattered into a million pieces.

Xia Mozhu patted her chest. Thank goodness this unlucky guy had gone first as a sacrificial lamb; otherwise, living with Su Qin, she would have surely stepped on a landmine!

But calling her “Sister Qin” felt too awkward. What about “Sister Sister Qin”? Xia Mozhu cringed internally; that was too sappy. Forget it, this problem was too taxing for her brain cells.

While she was zoning out, everyone present had finished their introductions. Among the four male guests, only Qi Tian was an idol from a survival show; the other three were primarily actors: Lu Siyu, Liang Shu, and Ji Ming.

Liang Shu was the oldest at 26, Qi Tian was the youngest at 22, and the other two were the same age as Su Qin and were her classmates from the Central Academy of Drama.

The introductions were mainly for the audience. An Nuo and Song Yanran had also finished speaking. Su Qin had only uttered two words: her own name. Now, only Xia Mozhu hadn’t spoken, so everyone’s attention naturally focused on her.

Xia Mozhu snapped back to reality. Facing the group, she didn’t know where to look, so her gaze instinctively landed on Su Qin. “My name is Xia Mozhu, and I’m currently a freshman at the Central Academy of Drama.”

“Oh, a junior!” Lu Siyu said with a smile. “Our school really does produce beauties.”

Qi Tian, also from a survival show background, said, “I watched Dream Idol. I was so happy the day you debuted in the center position!”

“Ah, thank you,” Xia Mozhu scratched her head bashfully. “It’s because my fans are amazing.”

Qi Tian grinned. “I even voted for you.”

“Alright, alright, only you would think to take credit like that,” Lu Siyu teased, patting him on the head. “Don’t go getting any ideas about our little junior.”

Qi Tian grumbled, “I didn’t mean it like that, I just talk a lot.”

Xia Mozhu’s eyes darted between the male guests. Qi Tian was still just a kid and posed no threat. As for Lu Siyu, gossip blogs had written that he had pursued Su Qin for four years during school without success, so he probably had no chance in this life either. The other two didn’t seem to talk much—total “wooden gourds.” She wondered if they were the type Su Qin liked.

The biggest threat was the actor named Liang Shu. He had won a Best Actor award and had collaborated with Su Qin on several projects.

Thinking this, Xia Mozhu couldn’t help but steal several glances at the Best Actor. Perhaps sensing her gaze, Liang Shu returned a smile upon the third look.

Xia Mozhu smiled back and awkwardly looked away, only to run straight into Su Qin’s direct gaze.

…The terrifying feeling of being watched by the dean returned.

An Nuo and Song Yanran were among the “Four Small Flowers” for a reason; their looks and charm went without saying. Usually, they were the center of attention, but here, they seemed to have suddenly become marginalized.

Song Yanran stuck her tongue out at An Nuo. “Sister An Nuo, looks like your charm has nowhere to be displayed. It seems many people aren’t here for you.”

An Nuo maintained her practiced, perfect smile for the cameras, but in a blind spot where they couldn’t see, she gave Song Yanran a sharp kick.

Song Yanran was kicked right on the shin. The pain nearly brought tears to her eyes, but with the cameras rolling, she could only suffer in silence.

“Alright, alright, now that our handsome men and beautiful women have met—since there are exactly eight of you—how about we split into pairs for a game? The winning pair gets a reward!” the director said. “And of course, the last-place pair will face a punishment.”

“It won’t be something like not letting us eat if we lose, will it?” Song Yanran had risen to fame through variety shows and was well-acquainted with the production team’s tricks.

“Would our team be that unoriginal?” the director teased. “The punishment is many times more intense than just skipping a meal! You’d better sharpen up and take this seriously!”

When it came to pairing up, anyone with eyes could see the production team intended for male-female pairs. Xia Mozhu looked around; Qi Tian was the closest to her in age and status, so she had no other choice.

But Qi Tian’s “girlfriend fans”… she couldn’t help but shudder. She would just have to try her best to avoid physical contact.

At that moment, Su Qin looked over and said to her, “You, in a group with me.”

Director: “…” Well, Teacher Su is definitely here to crash the party.